Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 611 Integration of Subgroups
The Bloodclaw Chapter Master stepped forward first, his armor painted crimson and iron gray. He knelt on one knee and bowed in salute: "The Bloodclaw Chapter answers the call of Gorgon. We are ready to serve you, Primarch."

His voice, transmitted through the helmet generator, carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

Felus's gaze swept over him, and he nodded slightly: "The Bloodclaw's assaulting spirit, the Legion needs your edge. Rise, warrior."

Next were the representatives of the Sons of Medusa, whose armor displayed a unique, copper-oxide-like green hue, representing their deeper connection with their home planet.

"The son of Medusa swears to you, my lord. Our anvil is to be forged for you."

Their tone was more composed, even with a hint of scrutiny, as if they were assessing the returning Primarch with surprise, yet also with reason.

Felus gave them an affirmative response: "Medusa is the root and the shield. You will be responsible for protecting the core world."

The representatives of Ironfist and Iron Lords expressed their loyalty more directly, while also subtly raising concerns about tradition and independence.

The Ironfist Chapter Commander said in a deep voice, “Ironfist obeys your will, sir. But we hope that the consolidation of the Legion will not completely erase the unique traditions and adaptability that each chapter has developed over its long years of independence.”

This represents the sentiments of a considerable number of the sub-group warriors. While they yearn to return to the Primarch's command, they also cherish their identity and habits of independent development over the past ten thousand years.

After listening attentively, Ferrus's response demonstrated both authority and a high degree of pragmatism:
"The strength of the legion lies in unified command and coordination, but steel is not just one form."

Your unique experiences and traditions, as long as they align with the Emperor's will and the Legion's core objectives, will be preserved and put to use on a broader stage.

The specific integration details will be jointly agreed upon by the command headquarters and representatives of each combat group.

However, not all subgroups held nothing back.

Some members, particularly officers who were deeply influenced by the Astartes and viewed it as the cornerstone of eternal stability, privately expressed their concerns.

At an informal technical exchange meeting, an older company commander from the Steel Collar faction bluntly told Company Commander Kyle:

"The Holy Codex ensures the controllability and loyalty of the warbands. Returning to Legion mode would certainly enhance combat power, but would it repeat... the mistakes of history?"
Too much centralized power is not always a blessing.

This concern stems from a deep memory of the history of the Second Army's founding and a profound recollection of the painful lessons of the Horus Rebellion.

Ferrus was well aware of these disagreements and concerns.

She convened several days of integration meetings, discussing in detail with representatives from various factions, elders of the parent faction, and technical priests.

The meeting was marked by heated debate, with traditionalists emphasizing the stability and security of the canonical framework, while reformists called for flexibility and scale to adapt to the needs of future warfare.

Ultimately, after intense debate and careful consideration with the leaders of the various warbands and clan representatives, Feralas made her decision.

Instead of forcefully erasing the millennia-old warband system, she chose a more gradual and pragmatic path, aiming to unite forces while respecting the traditions accumulated throughout history.

She made it clear that all the original names, emblems, and cultural heritages of the sub-units would be preserved. These symbols are not only symbols of honor, but also the cornerstone that unites the hearts of the soldiers.

Faced with the shadow of the "Ultimate Darkness" that shrouds the galaxy, Feralus, with the supreme authority of the Primarch and the ruler of Medusa, solemnly declares that the ancient restrictions imposed by the Astartes Codex on the number of the Iron Hand and all its sub-companies' battle brothers are lifted immediately.

She emphasized that to cope with future threats to survival, the legion must grow stronger.

"Only when steel is thick enough can it withstand the storm that is about to sweep in."

This order, as a direct response to Medusa's defense needs, is currently being implemented only within the Iron Hand Legion.

At the same time, she established a legion-based operational command system. In wartime, all battle groups must unconditionally accept the command of a legion-level headquarters personally led by her, breaking down the invisible barriers between battle groups to achieve optimal integration of intelligence, resources, and firepower.

To this end, a permanent "joint strike group" will be established, composed of mixed companies from different combat groups, dedicated to specific campaign missions.

In terms of technology and equipment, all chapters were required to prioritize the adoption and deployment of Prototype Space Marine technology.

The renovation follows the principle of voluntariness, but the long-term goal is a comprehensive upgrade.

Simultaneously, the Legion will vigorously promote the standardization of equipment and logistics systems to ensure that the massive war machine can obtain the most efficient supply support during its trans-galactic campaigns.

It is worth noting that the Imperial Fist and Blood Angels, two major battle groups, had actually begun their expansion and original forging reforms under the guidance of Inquisitor Chen Xi, using a secret meeting and a so-called imperial "appointment" as cover, under the pretext of the "continued Rostov Expedition".

In contrast, Feralas's decision, for the Steel Hand, completely publicized and formalized this change, and gave it a clear Legion-level integration framework.

On the training ground, the pace of new recruit transformation and training has accelerated significantly.

Medusa's gene bank is open to all offspring for the first time, with Feralas personally overseeing the selection and implantation process to ensure bloodline purity and enhancement efficiency.

The technical priests worked day and night, and the massive conversion center was brightly lit.

The new recruits not only have to undergo physical remodeling, but also receive indoctrination with new tactical concepts—emphasizing both efficiency and protection.

As an extension of Feralas's will, Company Commander Kyle was responsible for overseeing the practical exercises of the new tactical regulations.

He often personally went into action, using the metal arm bestowed upon him by the emperor—a arm capable of sensing temperature and vibration—to test the balance and feedback of new weapons, and to conduct combat exercises with officers from different regiments to assess the feasibility of mixed-unit tactics.

Medusa's military factory was operating with unprecedented efficiency.

With Felus personally overseeing and even participating in the design, new models of armor, enhanced railguns, thermoelectric weapons, and communication and command systems more suitable for legion-wide coordinated operations were continuously produced on the assembly line.

The number of orbital defense platforms has tripled, planetary void shield generators have been recalibrated and activated, and the deployment density of interstellar turrets has reached an all-time high.

Firus also ordered the concealment of several mobile weapon stations and secret supply bases in the asteroid belt surrounding Medusa as a final line of defense in depth.

The entire Tenth Legion, along with its returning sub-legions, resembled a massive war machine that had just undergone a thorough overhaul, upgrade, and refueling, with every gear operating at an even higher efficiency.

The morale of the soldiers—both the parent and subsidiary units—was at an all-time high, fueled by the return of the Primarch and the reshaping of their objectives.

They no longer fight merely for empty mechanical dogma or distant Terra, but for a more concrete and sublime goal: to protect human territory and to face and defeat the dark future that has been foretold.

However, Ferrus knew that internal integration and external threats were never far away.

The Highlord Council's suspicions, the Inquisition's close surveillance, the Mechanicus's instinctive wariness of technological monopolies, and even the doubts of other emerging chapters about the Legion's resurgence...

All of this lurked in the shadows like a ghost.

But she was not afraid.

Steel has been reforged under her will, and vows have been renewed.

The sons of Gorgon have been united once more, and they will follow the Primarch's command, with an iron will and a burning resolve, to defend everything of the Emperor until the end of time.

(End of this chapter)